WINNING FINDS

Trophy Case: Best Local Stuff of May 2015

This month's hottest locally made goods for Mother's Day, from handmade GMO-free soy candles to moss and lichen-filled bangles.

By Hannah Wallace, Marty Patail, and Cervante Pope April 27, 2015 Published in the May 2015 issue of Portland Monthly

WEARABLE
The ModernFlowerChild Resin Bangles feature natural and organic materials found around maker Sarah Smith’s Coos Bay home, like lichen, moss, and colorful flowers. $42–48

 

EXPORT
The Eva Pouchettes from Portland design company Ellington use fine Italian, hand-glazed leather that looks even better as it distresses. “Our styles are contemporary but get more beautiful with time,” says Ellington’s Francis Rice. $99

 

 

DRINK THIS
The new Barlow Trail Port Cask Finish from Hillsboro’s Big Bottom Distilling is a three-whiskey blend with a subtle ripe berry boost. If you ask nicely, maybe your mom will share. $38

 

 

BACKSTORY 
An upbringing near the dreary Baltic Sea gave Ieva Dexter an appreciation for how candles boost a dark room’s mood. Her Portland company, Munio Candela, specializes in handmade, long-lasting, GMO-free soy candles with an emphasis on wildcrafted botanicals, creatively recycled packaging, and scents inspired by Latvian folklore. $10–32

 

WORKSHOP
Bob Denman, 72, is one of few blacksmiths left who hand-forge garden tools. In his smithy at Red Pig in Boring, Denman makes 250 tools by hand—from trowels and hoes to something called a forged dibble. The Victorian-era ball weeder has a wooden knob that serves as a fulcrum, giving you leverage to pull out taprooted weeds such as dandelions. “Gardening is just below beer as a religion here,” says Denman. $26

 

 

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